A/N : Thanx to everyone who reviewed; Amandamanda3, BuffyandDracoLover, star2421, lilmisscookiemonster, Onion Petal, darkmistress013, x Thursday Next x. It's great to know you still like this fic that I am so enjoying writing. Now for the Buffy/Spike reactions that you've been waiting for...
(For disclaimer, etc. - see chapter 1)

Chapter 4

"What's going on?" Darla asked Harmony, frowning in confusion.

"I think Buffy knows the stripper" the second blonde realised, looking over at her friend, before they both shrugged and went back to their tequila shots and a couple of guys who's names had been forgotten a while ago.

In a moment the club was back to normal, all except for three people who stood rooted to the spot just staring at each other.

"Oh my God, Buffy" Spike repeated, unable to believe she was really standing there before him. He couldn't move, couldn't form a coherent sentence, it'd been so long and he was so convinced he'd never lay eyes on the girl again, but here she was, so very much a woman now.

"I...I don't" she began to stammer, before her hand shot up to her face and she bolted towards the ladies room.

It took Willow a second to register that her best friend had gone, as she was equally shocked to see Buffy's ex-fiancé and her own boyfriends ex-best friend standing there, practically naked and gaping at them like they were from another planet.

As soon as the gears in her mind shifted and she realised Buffy had run off she went after her at speed. She heard her before she saw her, heaving up everything she'd eaten for the past week, or so it seemed. The red-head tapped on the stall door and it opened slightly, Buffy had not had time to lock it.

"You okay sweetie?" she asked carefully when Buffy finally stopped retching, both were glad that the bathroom was currently empty save for the two of them.

"What is he doing here?" the blonde asked as she turned, still crouched on the ground by the toilet.

"Er, well, taking off his clothes apparently" Willow really wasn't sure what to say. She had been so surprised by the sight of William herself that it had yet to sink in what was really happening. There were a whole lot of unanswered questions, did William still have feelings for Buffy? Did it make a difference if he did or if she did? And what about Buffy's wedding to Riley that should be occurring in one week? All this could turn out to be a disaster but Willow knew one thing for sure, whatever happened she would be there, right at Buffy's side, like she had been the last time.

Willow moved to let her friend out of the stall and they both stood by the sinks as Buffy washed her hands and tried to remain calm.

"I can't believe he's here" she said quietly "and doing...that" she added distastefully, remembering his performance. Of course it was highly hypocritical to be anti-strippers all of a sudden, just because her sweet, shy, wonderful ex-boyfriend had been corrupted into being one, but Buffy wasn't too worried about that right now.

"It's been four years, sweetie" Willow told her softly, knowing that even after all this time and all the moving on, seeing him again had really hit her hard "I guess he's changed" she mused "You have too"

"Don't defend him Will" Buffy snapped, turning off the faucet and grabbing some paper towels from the dispenser on the wall.

"No defend-age" Willow said quickly, hands up in surrender "all big with the supporting you here" she assured her best friend who was practically a sister to her "but...what are you going to do now?" she asked carefully, scared she was about to get her head taken off again.

"Nothing" Buffy shrugged, trying to be nonchalant but failing badly as tears ran down her face "I just...I can feel it all over again, Will" she began to sob "and it hurts so much" she admitted as she fell into the red-head's arms and cried like a child. Both girls were reminded of that other painful day, when Buffy had cried and Willow had shed tears on her best friend's behalf, and because of this same man...

Flashback

"How could he do this to me Willow?" Buffy sobbed as her best friend held onto her. She'd taken over comfort-duty from Joyce who was out for blood after hearing that her baby girl had been jilted by her fiancé, and was currently tearing a strip off of the boys father who was completely at a loss for words about the whole sorry business.

"I don't know how or why he did it Buffy" Willow sympathised, "I wish I did know" she sighed, wondering how this had happened without her noticing. When had William realised he didn't love Buffy enough to spend his life with her? It seemed crazy since it was he that had proposed and only a few short months ago.

"Hey Buff" Xander approached and laid a hand on the girls back, "I'm so sorry about this, if I'd had any idea he was gonna..." his sentence tailed off as the blonde girl continued to cry on Willow's shoulder, seemingly not paying any attention at all to her other friends ramblings.

Willow gave him a half smile, assuring him that she believed him. She knew he must have done everything he could to talk William out of this, but despite his quiet and gentle nature, the boy had a stubborn streak a mile wide. He was a wonderful person and Willow loved him as a best friend almost as much as she loved Xander and Buffy, but leaving Buffy like this, on their wedding day of all days...Willow was not the kind of person to hate anyone but she really wasn't too happy about William right now.

"Well, it seems even his father doesn't understand his behaviour" Joyce raved as she re-joined her daughter and her friends, "and I will never understand how he could do this to you honey, it's unforgivable"

Willow was quite relieved to be able to pass Buffy back over to her mother so she could hold her as she cried some more. The front of the red-heads bridesmaid dress was slowly getting soaked through from her friends tears.

She walked over to where Xander was sitting with his head in his hands and slid into the pew beside him.

"Hey" she said to get his attention and smiled a little as he looked over at her, "She's not blaming you" she assured him, with a hand on his arm, "Shooting the messenger just isn't Buffy's style"

"I know that Will" he sighed, "I just...I keep thinking, I'm the best man, but I couldn't even talk the groom out of running out on his own wedding...that makes me the worst man"

"That's just stupid" Willow said sternly, not a tone she usually used, which shocked her friend somewhat, "You are the best man, you always have been and you always will be" she told him, "to me anyway" she added much more softly, a genuine smile on her lips. Xander smiled back as he pulled her into a hug and sighed once again. It was so great to know they would always have each other to care about them, if only the same could still be said for Buffy and William.

End Flashback

Willow couldn't help the small smile on her lips as she thought of that day. For all the badness that had occurred, it had spawned one good event. She and Xander had realised their feelings ran deeper than friendship and she was so glad about that. Her smile soon died as Buffy's sobbing hardly let up for a moment and she heard a faint tapping on the bathroom door...

- - - - - - -

"Spike, what is going on?!" Anya more or less screamed at him as he came back behind the curtain, grabbing the black jeans and T-shirt he had originally arrived in and pulling them on "You are not supposed to let them take off your mask!" the bottle-blonde snapped, obviously angry, but Spike didn't care at all. Right now all he could think of was the girl he'd just seen after such a long time of believing he'd never see her again.

"Stuff the soddin' mask" he yelled back at Anya, finally managing to get his legs into his jeans and the T-shirt over his head "I have to talk to Buffy" he insisted, forcing his feet into a pair of boots and turning to leave.

Anya stepped in front of him, putting her hands on his chest to push him back.

"Buffy? The bride-to-be? Why?" she asked, completely confused and somewhat hurt that he was being like this with her. Okay, so their relationship was ninety percent sex with a little business and a little friendship mixed in, it wasn't all heart and flowers, or love and romance, but she thought she meant more to him than this.

"Anya" he sighed, taking her hands and removing them from his body "for once in your life do me a bleedin' favour and shut your gob!" he said not so much nastily as it was tiredly. He'd had enough of the silly bint with her constant yammering about money and shagging.

"Fine" he heard her call behind him "but let me tell you something William Anderson! You walk out of here now and I am not having sex with you tonight!"

He hadn't quite cleared the curtain when she finished the sentence and happily flipped her off over his shoulder as he went to find a girl that meant much more to him than Anya ever could.

"Where's Buffy?" he asked the first girl he recognised as one of the party. Fred looked embarrassed that a stripper was talking to her and tried to hide in her drink as Darla leaned over the bar and slurred the words she said.

"How does the stripper know Buffy?" she asked him with a strange smile. Spike shook his head. He hated to see women in this condition. Happily drunk was one thing but these birds were so hammered they could barely stand!

"We used to be mates" he said swiftly "just tell me where she is"

"In the ladies room, with Willow" Fred said, barely looking at him as Darla continued to stare drunkenly and not form a sentence. Spike nodded a quick thanks to the girl with the Texas accent before hurrying in the direction of the bathroom.

It was only when Spike reached the door that he stopped himself, remembering it was a ladies bathroom and he may not be too popular if he just barged in.

"Buffy?" he called through the wood, tapping his fist on it and praying she'd just come out of there so he could talk to her. In all honesty he wasn't sure what to say yet but he thought maybe if he had the chance to talk to her the words would just come to mind...well, he hoped so anyway.

A couple of girls giggled as they stood nearby and watched Spike apparently talking to a door. He just shot them a dirty look and carried on begging Buffy to come out and talk to him. After a while the door opened and he was half way to smiling before he realised it wasn't Buffy but her best friend.

"Hey Red" he said casually as he could, wondering at the woman she'd become, different to the shy little thing he'd known four years ago "S'been a while" he commented, thinking not just how much she and Buffy seemed to have changed but how much his life had altered too.

"Yeah" Willow nodded, her voice very quiet as if she didn't want Buffy to hear everything she was saying, she held the door closed behind herself, "and don't get me wrong William, part of me is really pleased to see you after all this time" she told him "but for the most part I'm not happy" she frowned then "You have no idea how much you hurt Buffy when you just left and..."

"There's not a day between then and now when I haven't thought of her" he interrupted, nothing but honesty in his eyes and Willow felt bad for keeping him away from Buffy, despite the awful thing he'd done before "Can I talk to her or what?" Spike sighed as Willow opened the door a crack and peered back into the bathroom.

He guessed that Buffy refused to come out yet when Willow shook her head.

"I don't think so" she said, disappearing back into the ladies room, and Spike was sure he heard Buffy start to sob again.

In frustration he drew back his fist and slammed it into the wall at the same time as his foot kicked it. All he achieved was very painful fingers and toes, but he couldn't believe how his life was turning out. He'd never thought he might see Buffy again, but he'd dreamt of it so often. She still owned his heart, of that he was certain, despite all that had happened these past four years...but how could she ever forgive him for the pain he'd caused...

Flashback

Xander frowned as his cellphone began to vibrate in his pocket. He glanced at the screen and shook his head when he saw who was calling - William. Checking that no-one was paying attention to his movements and very glad that Willow had gone back to Buffy a few moments ago, the brunette boy slipped out of the church and answered the call, but in a none too friendly manner.

"William Anderson I could break your nose for this!" he threatened and he heard his friend sigh.

"Xand, I am sorry" came the reply as William stood outside the airport, "I didn't want to drag you into it all like this"

"It's not the drag-age I'm mad about" Xander told him, "Although I'm not happy about that either...Buffy's a mess, man!"

William winced at that. He really hadn't wanted to hurt her, it's why he'd run like he had. He knew he could never be happy being tied down so young and he'd end up resenting Buffy for that. He'd thought that if he made a clean break now, she could get over him and move on and maybe he could do the same.

"It was now or later" he said sadly, "and it only would've been worse then"

"If you saw what you'd really done to her" Xander sighed, "You wouldn't think you could make her feel worse" there was a pause before he added, "Don't call me again Will" and hung up the phone

End Flashback

Spike hadn't spoken to Xander from that day to this, and he regretted losing both his friendship and Willows, but worse than all that he regretted losing Buffy. Was it too late now? He thought so, but it didn't mean he wasn't going to try to apologise and hope that they could at least be friends. He'd made such a mess with Anya and everything, he sighed as he lent back against the wall, replaying words that had been said, over and over in his mind...

'Buffy? The bride-to-be?' Anya had gasped and Spike suddenly stood up straight at the realisation.

"Bride-to-be?!" he exclaimed aloud, "Oh, bugger!"

To Be Continued...

A/N2 : Hope people are still reading and enjoying this. If you are then please review so that I know! Thanx :-)